Can opener



Feb. 26, 1952 Filed April 27, 1945 A. OLEVI N CAN OPENER 2 SHEETSSHEET l [III I ll/I INVENTOR. W 0% BY @(MMJM Feb. 26, 1952 A. OLEVIN 2,587,201

CAN OPENER Filed April 27, 1945 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IIIIIIIIIm "I aw KIM-VIII l/l/llll INVENTOR. BY 0% MA. M

Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAN OPENER Adolph Olevin, New York, N. Y.

Application April 27, 1945, Serial N 0. 590,595

3 Claims. .(Cl. 30-15) This invention relates generally to can openers and more particularly to a can opener of the spur wheeldriven type.

Incan openers of the spur wheel driven type, the cutting blade usually penetrates the top wall of the can being opened and the periphery of the spur wheel engages the lower portion of the flange which forms the joining edge between the top wall of the can and the side or vertical wall of the can. For proper operation So that the cutting blade may sever the top wall close to the circumferential edge thereof, the cutting blade and the spur wheel are very close together. The result of this construction is that portions of the contents of the tin can squirt up around the blade-and find their way into the interstices of the teeth of the spur wheel. This is particularly disadvantageous when the contents of the can are food because this food material decays with a resultant unsanitary condition of the can opener. Because of the situation just described, the soiled parts are difiicult to clean and particles of decayed food from a previous can opening operation find their way into the contents of subsequently opened cans.

- Since the can opener parts receiving the greatest wear, for example the cutting blade and the spur wheel are subject to considerable wear, they the most satisfactorily fabricated of steel. Thus, when acid foods or foods which in decaying form acids, remain on these surfaces, such acids etch the steel and dull the cutting edge of the blade and'the lands of the teeth on the spur wheel. Even when the can contents are not acidic the moisture assists oxidation so that the parts rust. It is, therefore, among the principal objects of the present invention to provide a can opener of the spur wheel driven type in which certain parts are disengageable from each other so that they may be reached in order to properly cleanse the parts and remove therefrom contents of the can which during the opening operation thereof have been deposited upon said parts.

Another object herein lies in the provision of 'canopening structure of the character described inwhich the parts may be rapidly and conveniently engaged and disengaged by a person havingonly ordinary skill.

In can openers of the spur wheel type, the insertio'n. of the cutting blade into the top wall of .the can at the beginning of the opening operation is usually performed by direct manual pressure or by a lever arrangement.- In myimproved can opener, I have made the driving ofthe cut- .tin blade into the top wall of the can a cam operation which is automatically performed by movement of the same means which serves to rotate the spur wheel drive. I

Another object herein lies in the provision of a can opener having a reciprocatable mounted blade and of means for automatically locking the blade in the can top cutting position thereof.

Another object herein lies in the provision of a can opener having the above described characteristics and which is compact and of light weight so that the same may occupy a minimum of space when stored and shipped, or between periods of use.

These objects and other ends and advantages will more fully appear in the progress of this disclosure and be pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the drawings, similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views of each embodiment.

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of a can opener showing a first embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view as seen from from the right side f Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view partly broken away of the can opener shown in Figure 1 as seen from the rear of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen fromthe plane 4-4 on Figure 5.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view corresponding to Figure 6.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view seen from plane 6-6 on Figure 1.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary elevational view partly broken away of the lower portion of Fig ure 5.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view as seen from the plane 88 on Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view as seen from the plane 9-9 on Figure '7.

The. can opener includes generally a body II, a blade and retainer assembly I2 and a spur wheel and handle assembly I 3.

As will more fully appear hereinbelow, the blade and retainer assembly I2 are preferably permanently and movably connected to the body I I while the spur wheel and handle assembly are ,detachably engageable with the body.

The body I I is preferably formed by stamping same from a sheet of planar material, for example, steel, and has reformed at the lower edge thereof a positioning lip I4. The lip I4 thus forms a projection at the lower end of the body I I which partially encloses a spur wheel I 5. This projection also acts to properly position the can opener It with respect to the can generally indicated by numeral I6. This action of the lip I4 .is best seen in Figures 5 and 6.

The upper portion of the body II is deformed in a rearward direction to form a channel I! within which the slide member I 8 is longitudinal- .ly slidable. The principal end of the member I8 extendsabove the edge I9 of the body II and is sufficiently distant so that, said principal end form a rivet-like structure. 4| are preferably flanged discs stamped out of may form a grasping terminal 20. While the channel I? is depressed rearwardly from the front surface 2| of the body ll, the rear surface 22 is provided with a U-shaped guard 23. The guard 23 is perhaps best seen in Figures 1, 5, 8 and 9.

The lower portion of the body I! is provided with an orifice 24 which is surrounded by a flange 25. The flange 25 serves as a bearing for the axle indicated by reference character 26 of the spur wheel and handle assembly l3.

The blade and retainer assembly 12 at the front thereof includes the slide member I8. The slide member I8 at the lower portion thereof has projecting therefrom a key 21 which is adapted to enter into a groove in the axle 26, as will more fully appear. The key may have any desired external configuration, but preferably has a rectilinear edge 23 and a rounded cam edge 29. The key 21, therefore, is preferably formed by suitably shaping an integral tab offset from the slide member l8 and the key itself in final form is spaced and substantially parallel to the front 33 and at the lower end thereof with a notch 36 which is adapted to engage a ledge 31 extending inwardly from the lower edge of the guard 23. This ledge and its engagement with the notch 36 is perhaps best seen in Figure 9. In connection with the cutting edge 34, this is preferably a wedge having two sharp corner edges which are adapted to make a clean cut in the edge of the can lid 38.

From the foregoing description it may thus be seen that the slide member [8 may be vertically reciprocated within the channel I! and the key 21 moves simultaneously therewith. The cutting blade 32 may rotate about the rivet 31 and will be moved in the direction in which the slide member is traveling when the play or slack in .the slot 3!! has been taken up.

The spurwheel and handle assembly l3 includes the axle 26, the front and rear annular collars 40 and 4! respectively, the arm 42, the cam follower 43 and the foldable handle 44.

The axle 26 is preferably formed by taking a single flat blank 45 of metal, such as sheet steel,

providing the same with forwardly and rearwardly extending projections and bending the said blank into a hollow cylindrical configuration, such as is shown in section in Figure 4. It is also seen inFigures 8 and 9. The spur wheel is preferably formed by stamping the same from sheet steel and it is provided with apertures through which the rearwardly extending projections on the axle 26 extend to form the attaching members 45. These projections 46 in the fabrication of the spur wheel and handle assembly, are passed through the said apertures and swaged over to The collars 40 and arm 42 is of irregular configuration best seen in Figures 1, 2' and 3, and at the central end thereof is preferably of partial cup configuration, within which the collars 40 may be disposed. The projections on the forward edge of the axle 26 penetrate suitably disposed orifices in the inner end 43 of the arm 42 and said projections are swaged over at 50 to rivet the end 49 to the axle 26. Thus, the axle 26, the spur wheel 15 and the arm 42 as well as the collars 4B and 4 I, are united and move together.

Disposed upon the arm 42 is the cam follower 43 which is preferably in the form of a boss or rotatable roller journalled upon the arm 42 in any suitable manner (not shown). The outer end 5! of the arm 42 is provided with a pair of knuckles 52 within which is journalled a short transverse pin 53 from which perpendicularly projects the handle 44. As seen in Figure .2, the knuckles 52 are forwardly offset so that the handle 44 may be folded flat against the forward surface of the arm 42 when desired.

Thus, in a fully collapsed position, the arm 42 may lie opposite and forwardly of the front surface 2| and juxtapose the slide member l8 with the handle 44 folded flat against the front surface of the arm 42. In this arrangement of the parts, the opener I0 is relatively compact.

One mode of operation of the can opener I9 is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the positions last described, the can It is placed upon a level surface and the blade handle tab 33 is raised to its uppermost position (see Figure 6). The uppermost portion of the spur wheel I5 is placed under the upper can edge or flange 55 and the edge 56 of the positioning lip I4 is placed against the exterior surface 51 of the side wall 58 of the can It. In order for the slide member l8 to be elevated by an upward movement of the grasping terminal 20, it is necessary that the cam follower 43 be out of the way and this is accomplished by a partial rotation, either clockwise or counter clockwise from its upper most position, said uppermost position being indicated in Figure 5. After the opener I0 is positioned as described, the handle 44 is moved in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3 until the cam follower 43 engages the cam edge 29, whereupon said follower will by a camming action, force the key 21 downwardly into the groove between the flanges 41 and 48, which will pull along with it the slide member [8. A the slide member l8 moves downwardly, the slot 30 also becomes lowered and the rivet 3| engages the upper or outer end of said slot and thereafter. downward movement of the member l8 will pull the cutting blade 32 downwardly so that the cutting edge '34 pierces the top wall or can lid 38. Since the upper rim. 55

. of the can [6 is squeezed between the teeth of the spur wheel l5 and the lower end of the cutting blade 32, the continued orbital movement of the handle 44 causes the can i6 to rotate with respect to the can opener Ill. The movement of the can caused by the rotation of the spur wheel l5 causes a drag on the blade 32, which partially rotates the same about the rivet 3| so that the notch 36 engages the ledge 31 as seen in Figure 7. This retains the cutting blade 32 in its lower position so that the edge 34 may have a continuous cutting effect. Thus, the lowered active position of the cutting edge 34 is maintained irrespective of the position of the cam follower 43. The cutting edge 34 of the blade 32, acts to continuously sever the can top 38. After'the initial piercing or penetration of the can lid 38 by the lower end of the cutting blade 32, no further downward force on said cutting blade is required and said blade-remainsin a lowered position to have a continuous cutting operation. Further rotation of the arm 42 brings the cam follower 43 over the topmost part of the profile 29, but relatively negligible movement of the key and hence the blade 32 results therefrom.

After the lid 38 has been completely severed so that it is a separated single disc, the can opener I!) may be removed from the can 16 by a lateral movement and an upward pull on the blade handle tab 33. An upward movement of the blade 32 sufiicient to disengage the cutting edge 34 so that the can opener may be removed, places the parts as shown in Figure 6. In actual use, the last step is frequently unnecessary since when the entire lid 38 is severed, compression upon the rim 55 is reduced and the opener may be pulled away from the can.

In order to clean the can opener after the can opening operation, the slide member [8 is moved up from the position shown in Figure 6 until the lower end of the slot 3!] engages the rivet 3! and this upward movement of the slide member moves the key 2'! o that it is no longer engaged between the flanges 41 and 48.

In this position of the parts the spur wheel and handle assembly I3 may be separated from the can opener proper, that is to say, removed from the blade and retainer assembly 52 by moving the spur wheel and handle assembly l3 axially of the axle 26, or to the right as viewed in Figure 6.

With the parts thus separated, the cutting edge 34 and the spur wheel l3 are fully exposed so that they may be easily cleaned.

Re-assembly of the parts after washing and drying requires only the insertion of the flange 4| into the orifice 24 and the lowering of the member [8 until the key 21 is engaged between the flanges 4| and 40. The parts in separated condition are indicated schematically in Figure 2 where the spur wheel and handle assembly I3 is indicated in the removed position thereof by dot dash lines.

Other features of operation of the present can opener may be obtained without the separating feature if the key 21 is lengthened so that even at the most upward position of said key, it fails to disengage from between the flanges 41 and 48.

It may thus be seen that I have provided a novel and useful can opener construction. The can opener may be used alone or may be used in connection with a bracket as a wall type opener. The device is made in a relatively simple and inexpensive manner from stamped sheet metal and has an easy and thorough can opening action in which no sharp can edges are left. The mechanical advantage of lever operation is obtained in the primary piercing of the can top and this mechanical advantage is increased by a cam or wedge action. After the can opening operation has begun, the cutting blade is prevented from leaving its track until the operation is completed by simple means. The can opener is quickly and conveniently disassembled for the purpose of reaching ordinarily inaccessible parts for proper cleansing. By virtue of the novel interlocking construction disclosed, the can opener may not be disassembled during the actual can opening operation.

I wish it to be understoodthat I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described because obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art to which the present invention relates.

I claim:

1. In a can opener: a body of elongated shape having a channel therein; a slide member longitudinally shiftable within said channel; said body, within said channel, having an opening; a blade member; means pivotally connecting said blade member to said slide member; said means extending through the opening in the body; a U-shaped guard connected to said body and having a concavity within which a portion of the cutting member is shiftably disposed; said guard having a ledge; said cutting member having a notch within which said ledge is receivable; and means to shift the slidable member longtudinally of the body; said cutting member being laterally shiftable by the action of the can against the cutting member.

2. In a can opener which acts by relative movement between a can and itself, said opener comprising: a body having a channel and a ledge thereon; a slide member slidably disposed with relation to said body and within said channel; a lever cutting blade having a notch therein pivotally connected to said slide member and adapted to engage said ledge in said notch; an arm having a cam follower thereon journalled on said body said cam follower being adapted to engage said slide member and to shift the position of said slide member toward said can whereby said cutting blade is also shifted in the same direction as the slide member and in the direction of the movement of the portion of the can being opened, said blade having a cutting edge angularly disposed and directed away from the point of pivotal connection of the blade in the direction of movement of said can with respect to said body; said cutting edge being held stationary with respect to the slide member by engagement of said ledge in said notch during a major portion of the cutting operation.

3. In an opener for use with a can, a body having a ledge; a slide member slidably disposed with relation to said body; a lever cutting blade pivotally connected to said slide member; said cutting blade having a notch within which said ledge is receivable; an arm having a cam follower thereon, connected at a single pivotal point on said body said cam follower being adapted to engage said slide member and to shift the position of said slide member whereby said lever cutting blade is also shifted in position in a motion involving both lineal and rotational components; a spur wheel connected to said arm and adapted to engage said can and to compress a portion thereof between itself and said blade, movement of said can caused by movement of the spur wheel acting to shift the position of the cutting blade with relation to the slide member, whereby the notch thereof becomes engaged with said ledge, the last mentioned engagement inhibiting any translational movement of said cutting blade.

ADOLPH OLEVIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

